Valve



Dec. 18, 1956 5, 1 MacDUFF 2,774,377

VALVE Filed April 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

IN1 'E.\'TOR.

JJNLEY' .7.2 Mec Durf ATTORNEY Dec. 18, 1956 5, l, MacDUFF 2,774,377

VALVE Filed April 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q M u k w .L N.

N m N Q Q 3 L 11 @n Y L@ OQCQ r\/-" N Q "f Q Q d Q N OO Q IN VEN TOR,

m Mfr' I; BY

United States Patent O VALVE Stanley I. MacDni, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Appxieafin April 7,1951, serial No. 219,875

z claims. (ci. 137-620) This invention relates to valves of a type responsive to a condition to be controlled.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a valve which is responsive to engine temperature for controlling a fluid motor which actuates a shutter positioned in front of a radiator.

An important object of the invention resides in the provision of a valve mechanism having novel structure.

The above and other objects and features of the invenvention will be apparent from the following description of the apparatus taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this invention and in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of the invention shown incorporated into the hydraulic system of a vehicle; and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device of the invention.

The valve of the present invention is particularly adaptable to vehicle hydraulic systems where it is desired to employ a uid operated shutter for automatically controlling the engine temperature.

Referring now to Figure l of the drawings the reference numeral designates a vehicle engine with which a radiator 12 is associated. Hose connections 14 and 16 provide for circulation of coolant, such as Water, fromV the engine through the radiator, where the temperature of the coolant is reduced, and thence back to the engine. A common method of cooling engine water is by circulating it through a radiator over which air is passed. The cooling effect of the air on the water in the radiator depends partly on the mass of air passing over the radiator, which mass flow is regulated by a shutter 18, located in front of the vehicle and ahead of the engine, in this particular installation.

The shutter 18 is controlled by a single acting fluid motor 20, the uid to which must pass through valve 22, of the invention. The hydraulic system into which the uid motor and valve are incorporated comprises a reservoir 24, pump 26, pressure regulator valve 28, accumulator 30, and associated pipe lines interconnecting the aforesaid elements. It is a function of the pressure regulator 28, which is of conventional design, to maintain the accumulator pressure at a preselected value; when this preselected accumulator pressure is attained the regulator valve by-passes the uid back to the reservoir 24.

The shutter 18 includes a plurality of vertically disposed overlapping aps 32 pivoted substantially at their mid-point on pins 34, carried on a transverse support 36, mounted on a chassis 38. Each flap 32 is equipped with a lever 40, having one end securely fixed thereto. 'I'he opposite end of the lever is pivotally connected to a bar 42 mounted for transverse movement. The bar 42 is connected at one end to the fluid motor 20, which when energized moves the shutters to closed position, as shown. When the motor is deenergized, that'is, connected to the reservoir to exhaust the luid, a spring 44, having its opposite ends connected to the bar 42 and the chassis 2,774,377 Patented Dec. 18, 1956 fice 38 respectively, biases the shutter to open position, not shown.

The control valve 22 comprises a body 48, including a wall portion 49 forming an end or control chamber 50, the Walls of which are threaded interiorly at 52, to receive yan adjusting bushing 54, whose function will be hereinafter described. The valve body is further provided with a longitudinal bore 56 extending from the chamber 50 to the left end of the body, where the bore is closed by a plug 58. The diameter of the bore 56, at 60, is of such ia size as to slidably receive a valve stem or plunger 62; the diameter of the bore at 64 is of such a size as to permit the assembly of the valve parts in the bore from the left end when the plug 58 isremoved. The bodyl is provided with accumulator, cylinder, and

reservoir ports 66, 68V and 70 terminating at axially head 72 having a'female conical valve seat 74 formed therein, and on which a ball 76 seats, for controlling communication through a passage 78, located in the valve stem, and connecting the -cylinder and accumulator ports. Seals 8G `and 82 prevent leakage between the accumulator port and the chamber 50 on the one hand and between the accumulator port yand the cylinder porton the other hand. To permit extraction of the valve stem 62 from the left end of the bore, a removable partition 84 is provided, which threadedly engages the bore at 86. The partition is located in the bore between the cylinder and reservoir ports dividing said bore into work and exhaust chambers, 85 and 87, respectively, and establishes communication therebetween through a passageway 88,

one terminus of which is formed with a female conical seat 9i), and the opposite terminus of which is constructed to provide an abutment or stop 92 for limiting the axial ball 96iisn'ormally held on the seat 90 by a spring 98 interposed between theY plug 5.8 and avball retaining ele-` ment' 100. The plug 58 and ball retaining element 100 are formed with centrally extending portions 102 and 104 respectively, for holding these parts in .alignment for coaxial movement with the valve parts.

A spring 106, interposed between the removable partition 84 and a flange 108 carried by the valve stem, urges the latter in a direction to unseat the same from the ball 76, thus communicating the accumulator port with the cylinder port. An axially slotted pin 110, slidably located within the passageway 88, is interposed between balls 76 and 96 and cut to a prescribed length so that when the ball 76 is resting against the abutment 92, the ball 96 is unseated from the seat 90. Note, however, that pin is connected to neither of the balls 76 and 96 so that each ball is free to seat most electively on its associated seat without restraint as a free-oating sphere. In this way it becomes unnecessary to hold the valve members in perfect alignment with their associated Valve seats to prevent leakage around the seats; and an unnecessary cost of manufacture is, therefore, eliminated.

The valve 22 is temperature responsive and is :accordingly provided with a bellows 112, located in the chamber 50, and supported on a bushing 114. 'Ihe free end ofthe lbellows rides on-the valve stem 62 for imparting axial motion thereto-when expanded. The exterior end of the bushing 114 is provided with a thermometer bulbV or probe 116 which projects into the Water jacket of the engine 10. Thebulb `1-16f-andbellowsl -1'1'2 are lledwithf a liquid so that changes in engine temperature causev a Y Y change-in volume of theliquid,-thuschanging the length of the ybellowsi 1712.

In orderto provide for-'accurate adjustment Yof the' valve kstern so as toV obtain-the proper valve movement at'argiven temperature setting the adjusting bushing 54' isy formed-with` a 12 ptchexterior'thread, which engages the body 48,. and a16pitchv interior thread into which Vthe-'bushing 114-isthreaded.v t Y Although thisV inventionqhas-Y been described in'econ-Y 15, nectrion with certain specifieembodiments, ther principlesare susceptible of'numerous otherhv applications that will readily yoccur to persons skilled in the art; l

Having thus described'fthevarious `features of the iiivention, what IV claimeas newgand desire to secure Vby Letters Patent is:

1. A valve for use Vina system -for controlling thermal conditions in'an engine whichruses'iluidl as a coolant,

comprisinga body havinginlet,;working, and exhaust ports therein, a partition member 'in'Y the body separating the inlet and working ports from the exhaust port, forming -work and exhaustV chambers, a portion of said body includingawall which forms work; and control chambers, Va passage'in said partitionrmember communicating Vtherworlring port and theV exhaustport,Y a valve stem reciprocablerin` a bore through Ythe'portionV of the bodyv y formingY the worklaudcontrol chambersfandrextending intosaidchambers, saidr valve stem-having-a passageway therein which'communicates-the: inlet port with theY working port, a conical valve Seaton;saidstein-on-thev end extending into said working chamber for controlling the communication between theaforementioned inlet and f working ports, a springl operatively associatedr'with the partition member andv theV valve stemfurging' said stem toward the 'Y control chamber, said passagein the partition including VaV valve seat adjacentfsaid exhaust'chamber, antabutment extending fromthe partition at the stem Vbeing co-linear, a balli engageable in the conical valve seat in saidV stemand with the abutment'on'said partition to establish communication between theinlet Vend of the passage-leading into the work chamber, said Yvalve seats, zabutment, passage; passageway and ,valvel5 and work'ports when unseated-from the valve seat, andA establishing communication betweenI said work and Vexhaust ports Vwhen seated in the valve seat on the stem andrin `contact with the abutment,'=a second ballen-V gageable with the valve seat in the partition member Y andoperative to control communication between the worki and exhaust port when the first mentioned ball engages said abutment, -a spring in saidl exhaust chamber urging said second ball to a seated position in its cooperating valve seat, said spring being Vof a greater Vstrength ,than

the rst mentioned spring, a reciprocabl'e pin in the pas-V Y t sage of the partition and havinga greaterV length than Y t said passage, said pin being in contact witheach of theY aforementioned ball members and operative` to unseat;v

Vthe secondball from its valve seat, permitting communication between the working and exhaust portswhenrsufcient force is exertedon the stemv inthe controlchamber, overcoming the springrforce in the exhaust chamber,`

and Ywhen the rstfmentionedballis seated on the abut-Y Y ment, the end of the passagetopposite to that containing the valve seat for the second ball including Vradial grooves adjacent the abutment permitting the aforementioned'- communication betweenthe workingtand exhaust ports t when the pin unseats the second ball `due to force on Pthe stem in the control chamber,V andan adjustablepressurev responsive means 'contained in said control chamberin engagementL withV theV end ofthe stem extending into the control chamber, said last mentioned means operative to control communication ,between the inlet and'work Y' ports or Vthe work andLexhaust ports` dependingy onpreset conditions of saidlast mentioned means.V

2." Avalve as set forth in' claim 1Y wherein said par-V` tition member is kthreaded into saidv valveY body and saidv adjustable `pressurelresponsive means comprises anex pandable bellows secured'to atrst part having external, threads,` said rst part being laterally adjustable in a second part havinginternal and lexternal'threa'ds,` said second part being laterally adjustable in saidvalve body.`

References; Cited Y1n thefieorthisffpafem Y e,

VUNITEDisrA'rns VPArErrrs- 

